ISU Farm House Has Unexplained History on Halloween

AMES, Iowa- When you look at a list of top haunted, or ghost-infested places to visit, Iowa State University’s Farm House is not on the top of the list. That doesn’t mean it’s not without it’s unexplained history.

“We get requests from ghost hunters who want to stay here all night,” said David Faux, of the Iowa State University Museums. “We always turn them down.”

Faux admits the stories would not make a good TV show, but visitors still find this place and it’s history fascinating.

In 1858, this house wasn’t just ISU’s first building, it was THE only building.

“It was built originally the State of Iowa legislated for an ag school,” said Faux.
“It was going to be the Iowa School of Agriculture and model farm.”

The house does have some interesting occurrences.

“The table service the flatware was all turned at a 45 degree angle,” said Faux in recounting a first-hand story from a former co-worker. “Every single piece it was all turned in a very precise way, they checked the log and no one had unalarmed the house any of the nights between when she left and came back again, and that freaked her out, she’s like ‘I’m done.”

An upstairs bedroom had an early ghost story, which was proven not to be, but then something else happened.

“It was the most bizarre thing, I was working here at the time, so I actually experienced it, and don’t have an explanation for it,” said Faux. “But we would close all the shades, and we’d come back the next day, and this shade would be open again.”

Faux, who’s name is pronounced like fox, said there is another good sounding story, but with a practical explanation. Museum curators found a door and been walled off from bricks found int he basement, from when the house was built.

“The curators and museum staff and University staff were really interested in this, why is there a sealed door, when unsealed you find a wall of brick,” said Faux. “That was a pretty boring story it was sealed to keep the snow and wind out.”

Faux will present the history of some so-called hauntings at buildings on the campus of Iowa State University. The event will be held in Science 1 from 7-8pm on Halloween night October 31st.